?" – HelenlizYour best answersOver-the-counter remedies can ease the physical symptoms It’s nice to know I am not the only one who suffers with pre-race nerves. I too have to go to the toilet several times before a race, which has the tendency to leave me hungry

You've trained wisely and eaten well - but you just can't shake those pre-race nerves. So how can you work on mental preparation? To find out, I teamed up with researchers from Sheffield, Oxford, Manchester, Reading and Wolverhampton universities

Q I’ve been running for just over a year and have recently started entering races. The thing is that as soon as I stand on the start line, I’m always overcome with nerves. I feel queasy and my legs shake, and I’m sure this is affecting my race

Lausanne Grand Prix, Usain Bolt still went on to run the fourth-fastest 200m in history. Harness nervous energy – turn fear into fast times by overhauling your attitude to nerves. Rather than viewing nerves as a handicap, think of them as a sign that you

If you've spent the last three months with filthy trainers in the hall, half-thawed bags of frozen peas in the kitchen and training schedules pinned to the wall of the downstairs loo, the chances are you're a long-suffering supporter of a marathoner. Your final challenge: to ge...

Q I suffered from pain in my hip and back for about 12 months. Then my back suddenly stiffened completely while I was out running and I had to stop. It has been variously diagnosed as a slipped disc and a trapped L4 nerve, but after treatment

not absorb shock very well, and the shoes to look for should be more cushioned. Secondly, the layoff between the marathons may have caused (in conjunction with other problems you may not be aware of) your sciatic nerves to become tight and stiff

few millimetres to over 50cm, every bone has evolved to maximise lightness, efficiency and strength. Bones are surrounded by a layer of fibrous tissue, the periosteum, which, thanks to a particularly good nerve supply, is very sensitive.Common damage

You've trained for months, but race day arrives and something disastrous happens: a bad night's sleep has drained your energy, a freak hailstorm slows you down, a killer cramp forces you to walk. Was it still worth it? Of course it was, if you heed what went wrong."A bad race can...

Cramping, gastrointestinal (GI) distress, nausea, vomiting: sometimes a hard workout or a tough race is memorable for all the wrong reasons. You may think these reactions are part of the endless joy of being a triathlete but there are steps you can take to limit them, or even kee...